Method of making cylinders for raising and transplanting seedlings of farm crops



Jan- 5, 1955 AKlYosHl MASUDA 3,164,507

METHOD oF MAKING CYLINDERS FOR RAISING AND TRANSPLANTING sEEDLINGs oF FARM cRoPs Filed March 6. 1962 FIG.|

United States Patent lOffice 3,164,507 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 3,164,507 METHOD OF MAKING CYLINDERS FOR RAISING AND TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS F FARM CROPS i Akiyoshi Masuda, Shimoinad'a, Kawa'nishi-cho,` Obihiroshi, Hokkaido, Japan, assignor to Nippon Tensai Seito Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan Filed Mar. 6, 1962, Ser. N0. 177,819' Claims priority, application Japan, July 31, 1961, B16/27,305 2 Claims. (Cl. 156-197) In raising 4and transplanting the seedlings of farm crops, it has hitherto been a commonpractice to make various kinds of pots made -of paper materials or the like, raise the seedlings in said pots, and then transplant them to the field with or Without said paper pots in which the seedlings have been raised. In this case much effort has been necessary to carry out the various operations, such as soilfilling and seed-sowing, in each paper pot and it has been well-known to those engaging in practice that the transplantation of seedlings is mostly impracticable in the case of field crops of a low unit price.

The present inventor, noticing this point, has been successful in inventing the present invention as the result of studies on making paper cylinders for'raising and transplanting seedlings or the like.

In accordance with this invention, the production of an assemblage of cylinders for raising and transplanting is effected through the following steps: Atfirst a number of bottomless cylinders of a film of a porous and antiseptic material like paper which has been cut into strips of a convenient width are produced by pasting a vertical edge cylinder formed in accordance with this invention, in which opposite edges are overlapped on and pasted with each other by a water-insoluble paste. y'

FIG. 2 is a cross section of a part of an assemblage, in which a cylinder is pasted with others by a water-soluble paste;

FIG. 3 isa perspective view of the assemblage shown in FIG. 2 but expanded to show 4the honeycombed construction; and y FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a single cylinder isolated again.

The following example illustrates the method of carry-V ing this invention into effect; however, this vdescription will be understood to be illustrative of the invention and not as limiting it to the `particulars shown and described. At first a number of bottomless cylinders 1 of a film of n `a porous and antiseptic material, such as paper, which has of the strip on the opposite edge thereof by a water-insoluble paste. Then thebottomless cylinders are flattened. A series of the flattened cylinders is s ubassembled by pasting one of the flattened cylinders on another by a water-soluble pastein `such a manner thatone-third along the right edge of the front .outer surfacerof first flattened cylinder is overlapped on one-thirdalong. the leftedge of the rear outer surface of secondflattened "cylinder, of which one-third along the right edgeof the rear outer surface is overlapped on one-third yalong the left edgeof `the front outer Vsurface of third flattened cylinder, and repeating the pasting. successively. Then the ser-ies iscut` into `a plurality of units having a predetermined height. At last an assemblage of cylinders isassembled by pastingone of'said unit on another fb'yf'said water-soluble pastein such a manner that one-third along the' leftiedge of the front outer surface of the second flattened cylinder Vof. the

first unit is overlapped on one-third along the rightedge ofthe rear outer surface of the first flattened cylinderof been cut into strips of a convenient width are produced continuously by pasting a vertical edge of the strip on the opposite edge thereof by a 'water-insoluble paste 2, for example, vinyl acetate paste. Then the bottomless cylinders are flattened by pressing them as shown in FIG. l. In the second stage, a series of the flattened cylinders is subassemble'd by pasting one of the fiattened cylinders on another by a water-soluble paste, for example, gum arabic, in such a manner that one-third along the right edge of the front outer surface of first attened `cylinder is overlapped on one-third along the left edge of the rear surface of second flattened cylinder, of which one-third along the right edge of the rear outer surface is overlapped on one-third along the left edge of the frontouter surface of third `flattened cylinder, and repeating the pasting successively. Numeral 3 indicates the water-solublefpaste. Then the series is cut into a plurality of units having a predetermined height.

At last an assemblage of cylinders as shown in FIGS.

along the left edge of the front outer surface of the second flattened cylinder of the first unit is overlapped on onethird along the right edge of the rear outer surface of the first flattenedcylinder of the second unit and one-third the -secondunit and one-third along the right edge ofthe n front outer surface of the second flattened cylinder of the first unit -is overlapped on one-third along the left ledge ing operation and seedling raising operation can be practiced by handling anassemblage of paper cylinders which is characterised lby proper use of water-soluble and waterinsoluble pastes.` Thus afterthe completion of Vraising seedli'g each cylinder can be easily separated and the purpose of transplanting seedling can be realized safely, rapidly and economically Without damagingthe root system of it. A i

These and other features of` my invention will appear 4 fromthe descriptionin connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which: r

FIG; l is -a cross section of a single bottomlesspaper along' the `'right edge ofvthe front outer surface of the r second flattened cylinder of the first unit is overlapped on one-third ,along the'leftedge of the rearfouter surface of,A thethird fiattenedcylinder of :the second unit, and repeat-zl ingthey secondnamed pasting successively. When eX- p'anded, this assemblage of cylinders shows a honeycombed construction. .Y y

By virtue of the llattenablefconstruction, even if an as semblage of cylinders .comprises a number of units overlapped 'and pasted one upon another, it may beenough compact so as .to facilitate to handle it, and Iparticularlyz to transport 'and store'it. Itisalso very easyvto position vertically and expand into the honeycombed rstate augrveat.

number of cylinders for farm use.

By virtue of the pasted construction of a number of cylinders using a water-soluble paste 3, the whole assemblagevbecomes very rigid even when the raw material is;V poorlyrigid -and exible. i Thus it becomes very conven-f By virtue of the regularity of the honeycombed construction, it becomes possible to mechanize the seed-sowing operation and soil-filling operation easily. i

After the cylinders have been lled with soil and seeds have been sown, the cylinders are set on a cold bed or a hot'bed and sprinkled with` water, whereby the Vwatersoluble paste 3 between cylinders is gradually dissolved and washed away and its adhesive capacity decreases exi the operation of `transplantation is just as simple as in the case Where seedlings have been raised in individual cylinders which have not been assembled and are' trans'- planted to the fieldj By virtue of such'an operation of transplantingseedlings -to the ground together with a cylinder in which the-seedling hasbeen raised and which has been isolated from others, the root system of the seedlings is protected from any damage completely and will continue normal-growth without the so-called striking root or taking root phenomenon, so that it is possibleL to n expect an increased yieldgthe primary purpose of transplantation, and, in vaddition, to shorten the raising period in the farm. v

if the cylinders in laccordance with this invention are used in raising and Vtransplanting seedlings of sugar beet and they are transplanted by burying the cylinders in the ground before the main roots of the seedlings reach bottoms of the cylinders, respectively, it is possible to transplant the seedlings as they are Without any fear of irnparting any injury tothe root system and forming any prongy root which occurs inevitably hitherto when root vegetables are transplanted'as described in detail in the specifications of Japanese patents which havebeen published in thelapanese Patent Official Gazettes under the Publication Nos. 6205 of 1959 and 309 of 1961, respectively. v

In accordance with this invention, it is possible to perform such operations as sowing seeds, raising'seedlings, and transplanting them with cylinders, respectively, very n easily by virtue of the use of the assemblage of cylinders in which water-soluble paste and water-insoluble paste are r`used properly, Therefore, not only high-grade vegetables )j porous and antisepticrpaper was cut into strips '6.5

1cm. Wide; A longitudinal edge of the strip was overlapped onl the oppositel edge `andpasted therewith' by a vinyl acetate emulsion `to forma cylinder having. a lcircumference of 6 cmj'the marginfor overlapping being 0.5 n s cm.. wide. The bottomless cylindersfso formed `were" pressed and'flattened, a One of the flattened cylinders wasv pasted and Voverlapped ori another. Thev'pasti'ng material was gum arabic.

The lap wasone-third Vof an outer nsurface of the flattened cylinderk orf-1l cm. Wide, one-third alongftlie right edge of' the front outer surface of thefirst cylinder being overlapped on one-third along-the leftedge of the rear ksurface `of the second cylinder. V,Then one-third along the right edge ofthe rear'outer surface ofthe second cylinder' was pasted `and overlappedon one-thirdalong the left edge of the front outer surface of still another flattened cylinder."

Repeating in suchV a mannerfas above, twenty fiattened cylinders were subassembled and made of uniform height.

of 13.5 cmrcutting off any longitudinal protrusions.

Then one of seventy-uve units thus subassembled wask lpasted andoverlapped onY another, The pasting material was gum arabic.v One-third along the leftedge of the front outer Vsurface of the, second flattened cylinder of the first unit Vis overlapped onlone-third along `the right edge ofthe rear outer surface of the first flattenedcylinderof thesecond unit and one-third along the right edge of 'the front outer surfacek of the second flattened cylinder ofthe first unitis overlapped on one-thirdalong the left edgeof l the'rear outer ksurface ofthe thirdiiattened cylinder' of the second unit. Repeating in such a manner as above, the seventy-five units were pasted one on another. Thus an assemblage comprising 1500 flattened cylinders was formed with the seventy-five units arranged alternately or zigzag. The lassemblage was easily expansible and reflattenable. When expanded, it shows a fine honeycombed construction.

The assemblage was expanded and filled with cultivating soil. Seeds of sugar beet wereV sown in the soil in the expanded cylinders of the assemblage, respectively, and raised for about thirty days during which Water was sprinkled over the assemblage as frequently as in the customary cultivating method. Gum arabic by'which the cylinders have been pasted one after another was dissolved away gradually by water so that the cylinders including cultivating soil and seedlings, respectively, were isolated as they were. Then each cylinder was buried in the ground of the farm individually. Afterwards it was found that the sugar beet liadideal root. Although the entire labour needed for raising the seedlings and-transplanting them with the cylinders in accordance with this invention was approximately the same as those needed for practice of the sugar beet cultivating method as commonly known, the yield of sugar beet roots was increased about thirty percent compared with the conventional cultivating method. v

What I claim is:

l. A method of producing an assemblage of cylinders for raising `and transplanting seedlings of farm crops, comprising steps of producing a number of bottomless cylinders of a lm of a porous and antiseptic material like paper Which has been cut into strips of a convenient width, by pasting a vertical edge of said stripon the opposite edge thereof by a Water-insoluble paste; iiattening 'said bottomless cylinders; subassemblingV series of said cylinders by pasting one of said flattened cylinders on another by a water-soluble pastein such a manner that onethird along the right edge of the front` louter surface of a first flattened cylinder is overlapped on one-third along the'leftl edge ofthe rear outersurface of a second flattened cylinder, of which one-third along the right edge of said rear outer surface is overlapped on one-third along the left edge of the front outer surface of a third flattened cylindenfand repeating said pasting successively; cutting said series into -a plurality of unitsk havingia predetermined height; and assemblingv an assemblage of cylinders by pasting one of said units on another'by said water-soluble paste in Vsuch ak mannerthat one-third along the left edge ofthe front outer surface -of the secondfiattened cylinder of the first unit is overlapped o'n one-third along the Vright edgefof the rear outer surface ofthe first flattened cylin'der of the second unit and one-third along the'righ't edge of the ,front outer surface of said second flattened cylinder f of said first unit is overlapped on one-third along the left edge of the rear outer surface ofthe third flattenedcylinder of said second unit, and repeating the second-named pasting successively, whereby an assemblage of'cylinders by pasting a vertical edge of saidstrip on the opposite edge thereof by a water-insoluble paste'gflattening said bottomless cylinders; subassembling series of said cylinders by pasting one of said flattened cylinders on another by a water-soluble paste in', such a' manner that one-third along the right edge ofthe front outersurface of4 a first flattened cylinder is overlapped on one-third along the left edge of the rear outer surface of a second flattened cyl- `edge of the rear outer surface of a thirdfflattenedcylinder, and repeatingv said pasting successively; cutting said series into a plurality of units having a predetermined height; and assembling an assemblage of cylinders by pasting one of said units on another by said water-soluble paste rin such a manner that one-third along the left edge of the front outer surface of the second flattened cylinder of the rst unit is overlapped on one-third along the right edge of the rear outer surface of the rst flattened cylinder of the second unit and one-third along theleft edge of the front outer surface of the third flattened cylinder of said rst unit is overlapped on one-third along the right edge of the rear outer surface of the second attened cylinder of said second unit, and repeating the secondnamed pasting successively, whereby an assemblage of cylinders expansible into' a made.

honeycombed construction is References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Otwell 47-37.2 Otwellr 47-37 .2

Paxton 47-37 Bacon 154-459 Holland 156-197 Colvinv 47-37.2 Knoll et al 156-197 Kobs 47-37 T. GRAHAM CRAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING AN ASSEMBLAGE OF CYLINDERS FOR RAISING AND TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS OF FARM CROPS, COMPRISING STEPS OF PRODUCING A NUMBER OF BOTTOMLESS CYLINDERS OF A FILM OF A POROUS AND ANTISEPTIC MATERIAL LIKE PAPER WHICH HAS BEEN CUT INTO STRIPS OF A CONVENIENT WIDTH, BY PASSING A VERTICAL EDGE OF SAID STRIP ON THE OPPOSITE EDGE THEREOF BY A WATER-INSOLUBLE PASTE; FLATTENING SAID BOTTOMLESS CYLINDERS; SUBASSEMBLING SERIES OF SAID CYLINDERS BY PASTING ONE OF SAID FLATTENED CYLINDERS ON ANOTHER BY A WATER-SOLUBLE PASTE IN SUCH A MANNER THAT ONETHIRD ALONG THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE FRONT OUTER SURFACE OF A FIRST FLATTENED CYLINDER IS OVERLAPPED ON ONE-THIRD ALONG THE LEFT EDGE OF THE REAR OUTER SURFACE OF A SECOND FLATTENED CYLINDER, OF WHICH ONE-THIRD ALONG THE RIGHT EDGE OF SAID REAR OUTER SURFACE IS OVERLAPPED ON ONE-THIRD ALONG THE LEFT EDGE OF THE FRONT OUTER SURFACE OF A THIRD FLATTENED CYLINDER, AND REPEATING SAID PASTING SUCCESIVELY; CUTTING 